Europe

Ladies and gentlemen, the time has come to once again question the borders of the European continent along with its penchant for sequins and a strong dance beat. It is a time when old alliances are totaled in “points” and everyone is reminded just how many countries the former Yugoslavia has now become. Mesdames et [...]

Europe makes it so easy, even for the busy tourist, to take a meandering stroll through a public park. Due to their central locations, the following parks are hardly an addition to a traveler’s checklist — indeed, they connect visitor points of interest so smoothly, you’ll think you planned to take that little break in [...]

Every Monday, the Deutsche Guggenheim Museum in Berlin opens its exhibition to the public for free. Located on Unter den Linden, it’s nearly equidistant from Museuminsel or the Brandenburg Gate and is a quick hop from Gendarmenmarkt. Plan 30 minutes to an hour to view the artwork and browse the gift shop in this relatively [...]

Welcome to this week’s Travel on a Shoestring Carnival, focusing on the highlights of the European continent. Photographic inspiration of the Crimean vineyards at harvest time comes to us from Q. Sakamakil at National Geographic’s Best Trips 2013. Click on the image to view further pictures of this Ukrainian destination.

I take public transportation in every city I visit. When researching my options for a trip to Amsterdam last year, I calculated that the three-day ticket would be my best bet for getting around the city inexpensively.
What I didn’t know was that the Amsterdam metro system pretty much sucks. The tickets aren’t valid on [...]

A new “express” bus service now links Südkreuz train station in Berlin with Schönefeld Airport. Price: 6 euros, 4 euros with any BVG ticket, 3 euros with a weekly or monthly ticket. For those flying into Berlin, the ticket remains valid for further transit on public transportation in Berlin ABC.
This bus represents no monetary savings [...]

I love capitols – can’t get enough of their marble halls, gilded domes, dark wood paneling and hundreds of tiny desks (at least they always *look* tiny from the viewing gallery) with multicolored voting buttons. They capture a regal era removed from our own with a permanence found rarely in modern architecture.
While in DC at the beginning of January, my destination [...]

Some friends of mine made an unhappy discovery when departing the Czech Republic with a long-sought bottle of wine (or two): their duty-free purchase was confiscated when making a connection in another EU airport.
As much as I complain about the security theater Americans abbreviate TSA, there is one upside to the system: once you’re in (and don’t connect [...]

With the focus on staycations and naycations, there’s little reporting on important nuts-and-bolts issues affecting thousands still on the road. Expect to hear about these only when they start causing major snarls for casual tourists unaware of the changes.

Flying to the United States this year? As of January 12, 2009, all travelers to the U.S. [...]

Tuesday is discount day at one of the largest English-language (i.e. not dubbed) cinemas in Berlin. On tap this week was Woody Allen’s newest, Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Though a sadder movie than I expected, what disappointed me most was the portrayal of one of those three title characters — can you guess which one?
The film is set [...]